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Macbeth analysis and interpretation
Comparative analysis of MacBeth
Comparative analysis of MacBeth
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What was the the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth really like? In the beginning, Macbeth uses terms such as “my dearest love” showing his affection towards his wife and we see how their relationship alters and changes as the story continues. Throughout the play we learn that Lady Macbeth is the leader in their relationship. We can tell that Macbeth only wants to please her even if it means murder. The two crave royalty and power. They decide to do whatever it takes to earn the crown and power.
From the very beginning, we can distinguish many differences between the two characters. We realize that Lady Macbeth has control of the relationship in the beginning, but as the play progresses the roles switch and Macbeth takes control. Lady Macbeth is manipulative
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Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, Raze out the written troubles of the brain, And with some sweet oblivious antidote cleanse the stuffed bosom of the perilous stuff which weighs upon the heart? (Shakespeare V.III. 40-45) Macbeth’s feeling truly show as he only wants her to be cured. His love for his wife is displayed as as he begs the doctor to cure Lady Macbeth by lessening the weight that she carries on her heart. Even though they are beginning to change, Macbeth still loves and cares for his wife deeply.
Lady Macbeth shows concern towards her husband in the following quote. “Using those thoughts which should indeed have died with them they think on? Things without all remedy should be without regard. What’s done is done” (Shakespeare III.II.10-12). She says that they should try to forget the past and that they can’t change what happened. Lady Macbeth was trying to comfort Macbeth, but she could not calm Macbeth’s fears. The ironic thing is that Lady Macbeth is the one in the end that died from the
We are first introduced to Lady Macbeth at the beginning of Act 1, scene 5, through the letter that Macbeth sends her. This shows her to be his, ‘dearest partner of greatness’ and that he has no secrets from her. The witches’ prophecies intensify her ambitions for her husband, to be the King of Scotland. Lady Macbeth is the one who encourages him to kill the king and she not only encourages him, she makes all the plans herself. We see how clever she is and how she understands her husband well, she knows he has great ambitions, but she also knows that he is honourable and mentally weak:
After the slaughter of his former comrade, Macbeth explains to his wife, “Strange things I have in head that will to hand/Which must be acted ere they may be scanned” (3.4.137-140). This assertion from Macbeth paves the path for his future misdeeds. Lady Macbeth is concerned by her husband’s announcement and responds with, “You lack the season of all natures, sleep” (3.4.141). Lady Macbeth believes that her husband has lost his sanity. She no longer supports Macbeth’s murderous plans, and resents his new impulsivity. Following this conversation, Macbeth continues to kill harmless people, such as Macduff’s wife and children. He implies that he will no longer think about his actions before completing them, which is a deranged approach to life. The change in Macbeth’s behavior reshapes Lady Macbeth’s personality. She realizes that “what’s done cannot be undone” (5.1.57). Lady Macbeth now recognizes the lasting impact of the murders on herself and her husband. Initially Lady Macbeth approves Duncan’s murder, as it leads to her queenship. Her sadism and zeal for power declines after Macbeth’s killing spree. Lady Macbeth’s newfound heart is the outcome of her husband’s wicked
The relation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth takes a few turns throughout the play. It starts with Lady Macbeth being in control and dominating Macbeth. Then suddenly Macbeth turns into an unhesitant man, who gets accustomed to killing and getting his own way. The dire changes in the characters affect the couple’s relation extremely.
A quote which really defines Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s ambition regarding power is “Power does not corrupt men; fools; however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power” George Bernard Shaw. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious in terms of gaining power then Macbeth is and that Lady Macbeth will do almost anything to gain power, even evil things that she normally wouldn’t do. This is shown when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth learn about the witches’ predictions, then roles in the plans to murder king Duncan in order to gain power and then finally after the murder, Macbeth doesn’t want to finish the plan making Lady Macbeth angry and causing a chance they might get caught and gain no power at all.
Although most of Shakespeare's play " Mac Beth " is not historically accurate, MacBeth's life is the subject of the tragedy. There are characters and events that are based on true events and real persons but, Shakespeare's "MacBeth " differs significantly from history's MacBeth. The first example of a difference between the Shakespeare "MacBeth" and historical Mac Beth is the death of Duncan I. In Shakespeare's " Mac Beth ", Duncan I was murdered by MacBeth.
Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth his faults so that he may correct them. After Lady Macbeth read the letter from Macbeth she says to herself, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ human kindness…” (I.V.15-17). Shakespeare chooses to make Macbeth sound sensible. Stating Macbeth is “full o’ human kindness” defines Macbeth as a person who cares (I.V.17). Shakespeare writes of Macbeth as a ruler with heart who cares, but presents it as Lady Macbeth stating Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth his faults so that he may correct them. Shakespeare makes Lady Macbeth out as a wife unblinded by the fact that Macbeth and her share a name; Lady Macbeth sees Macbeth and all of his flaws. As Shakespeare characterizes Lady Macbeth he chooses to create a strong-willed woman who wants to take hold of her marriage and does so by telling Macbeth his faults and how to improve upon them to further herself. After Macbeth changes his mind on killing more to rise to power, Lady Macbeth asks him, “Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?” (I.VII.39-0) To question if he has left his dream of gaining all potential power and given up. Shakespeare intended to question whether or not Macbeth makes the noble choice by questioning him through Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare means to characterize Lady Macbeth as a wife who craves power by having her ask her husband to reconsider not going through with killing those in power for a rise of their
There was a common saying, “Behind every great man there's a great woman”. The men, Macbeth and Winston Smith in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and George Orwell’s 1984 may not be considered as the “great man” however, both Lady Macbeth and Julia are good examples that can be presented as the “great woman” behind the men. Both Lady Macbeth and Julia do an excellent job of pretending to be someone who they are not, they are not only affecting the men in their lives to rethink their previous position but also have a bad ending accompanied with physical and psychological issues.
The Relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Throughout the play of "Macbeth" written by William Shakespeare there is an on-going relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship is one of the functions of the play that creates most of the actions, reactions, moods, feelings and attitudes. Macbeth's relationship with his wife was not always great. This is shown in one of there conversations; MACBETH: "We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon. "(Macbeth,I,vii, )
As Lady Macbeth becomes consumed by fear and guilt, she is slowly losing her sanity. This is a result of her not being able to handle what she has done to Duncan. In one scene, Lady Macbeth is trying to wash out what she sees as being blood on her hands, even though she is sleepwalking, though the doctor and woman in the room dare not blame her for anything, for fear of being accused and executed for treason. At the start, Lady Macbeth was pushing the fearful Macbeth to kill Duncan. Now, late in the play, their roles have reversed, and it is Lady Macbeth who is fearful, not her husband.
Macbeth: Shakespeare's Comparisons and Contrasts. Throughout Macbeth Shakespeare uses comparison and contrast to bring out characteristics of his main character, Macbeth. Shakespeare uses comparisons with Duncan, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo to bring out aspects of Macbeth's character. After hearing of Macbeth's courageousness on the battlefield, Duncan, a good and honest king, bestows the title of Cawdor on Macbeth.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tells the story of a general who commits regicide in order to become king. Early in the play, Macbeth is conflicted as to weather or not he wants to kill his kinsman the king. In the first two acts Macbeth is not portrayed as a ruthless killer; he is a sympathetic character who succumbs to the provocation of his wife and a prophecy foretold by three mysterious witches. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is a manipulative, immoral woman. Her ambition is so strong that she is willing to do anything to see her husband succeed. However, in the third act things begin to change. The death of the king and lord and lady Macbeth’s rise to power catalyze profound transformation in their personalities.
The relationship between Macbeth and his wife is strong. There is much trust between the two and there is also openness. However, the two butt heads and have opposing views many times. Even so, it is clear that Lady Macbeth is the dominant person in the couple. She is one of the major driving forces of Macbeth. This is shown when they are plotting the murder of Duncan. Macbeth asks her, ?If we should fail?? and she strongly replies, ?We fail! / But screw your courage to the sticking-place, / And we?ll not fail.? Whenever he is backing down she pushes him forward again. This is where a major flaw of our protagonist comes in. Macbeth cannot escape the trap of listening to his wife. He is subject to her commands and he knows it.
The unbalanced behaviors Lady Macbeth has, yet to be explained. The depression Lady Macbeth has explains the thoughts she been having like this one “Although she may well fantasize about killing an infant, Lady Macbeth expressly rejects the masculine power which would allow her wield a dagger”. (Fantasizing Infanticide: Lady Macbeth and the Murdering Mother in Early England”). Lady Macbeth was willing to think about killing a newborn and she does have one son never had any children unless she killed him before she had him. Lady Macbeth eventually dies from suicide she could not take the guilt from all the dirt that she had created, and then she couldn’t tell it all. Lady Bercilak had some unbalanced behaviors and those were that “The lady of the castle attempts to seduce Gawain but Gawain’s nobly rejects her advances.” (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 181). Just because your husband is not there does not mean you please yourself by trying to please other people. These approaches these two ladies have are inconceivable when you think about what has
In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare does an excellent job describing his characters and their settings. Throughout the play Shakespeare connects several different situations to things that are happening with the characters. Shakespeare uses his characters to represent things, such as good and evil, and also to describe their surroundings at that time by adding details about the characters environmental settings in the act and scene. Macbeth, Macduff, Banquo, and King Duncan are the main characters in the play and Shakespeare uses them to get his good vs. evil point across even more.
The famous play “Macbeth”, written by the famous author, William Shakespeare was a play written as a tragedy. There was people dying and others wanted to hurt other people for something they wanted or was jealous of. In the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were just like any other married couple. They were loyal and loving towards each other. But just like any other marriage, they each had their own flaws. They were similar in many ways but they were mostly very different.